Connector positioning structure

Electrical connectors – Including vibration cushioning or absorbing means

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C439S680000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06482025

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector positioning structure which makes it possible to perform such as a conductivity test of terminals inside a connector housing and the insertion of terminals into the connector housing without being affected by a deformation occurring when the connector housing is resin-molded.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-071152, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 13
shows a related structure for setting and positioning a connector in a connector conduction-test tool.
A connector conduction-test tool
51
is for inspecting the presence or absence of the conductivity of terminals wire wires inside a connector
52
, and includes a connector setting portion
54
fixed on a frame
53
, a testing portion
56
slidable along guide rails
55
on the frame in face-to-face relation to the connector setting portion
54
, and an operation lever
57
for slidably driving the testing portion
56
.
The connector
52
includes a connector housing
58
formed of a synthetic resin and terminals with wires accommodated and retained in terminal accommodating chambers of the connector housing
58
. The connector
52
in this embodiment is a male connector having female terminals accommodated inside it (in this specification, the connector having a connector fitting chamber in which male terminals project is defined as a female connector, while the connector which is fitted in the connector fitting chamber is defined as a male connector).
In the connector
52
, a pair of vertically extending protrusions
59
are respectively formed on both sides of a rear end portion of the connector housing
58
for the purpose of positioning the connector
52
with respect to the connector setting portion
54
. In the connector setting portion
54
, a pair of vertically extending grooves
61
for slidable engagement with the protrusions
59
are respectively formed in two opposing side walls of a connector accommodating space
60
. The protrusions
59
are engaged in the groove portions
61
, and a lower wall and side walls
62
of the connector housing
58
are brought into contact with a bottom wall and side walls of the connector setting portion
54
, thereby positioning the connector
52
.
The testing portion
56
has a connector engaging chamber
63
formed therein to allow a front end portion of the connector
52
to advance into it. Probe pins
64
for contacting front ends of the female terminals inside the connector housing
58
are projectingly provided in the connector engaging chamber
63
. Rear ends of the probe pins
64
are connected to leads
65
, and the leads
65
are led out rearward from the testing portion and are connected to a testing apparatus body (not shown). As the other connector (not shown) connected to wires
66
led from the connector
52
is connected to the testing apparatus body, a loop circuit is formed, and OK is given in the conductivity test when the terminals of the connector
52
and the probe pins
63
contact each other. On the other hand, if, for example, the insertion of the terminals into the connector housing
58
is incomplete (half inserted), the probe pins
64
do not contact the terminals, and if the connection (crimping) between the terminals and the wires
66
is incomplete, even if the probe pins
64
are brought into contact with the terminals, conductivity with the wires
66
cannot be established. In either case, NG is given in the conductivity test.
However, with the above-described structure, in a case where there was a deformation in a connector housing
68
completed in the process of resin molding of the connector housing to such a degree that the deformation can be allowed as a product as shown in
FIG. 14
, when a deformed surface
70
of the connector housing
68
is made to abut against a wall surface (reference surface)
69
(serving as a reference) of the connector setting portion
54
of the connector conduction-test tool
51
(FIG.
13
), positions
71
of the terminals inside the connector housing
68
and positions
72
of the probe pins
64
inside the testing portion
56
of the connector conduction-test tool
51
(
FIG. 13
) become offset from each other. Consequently, there has been concern that it becomes difficult for the front ends of the probe pins
64
to come into contact with the front ends of the terminals, resulting in a decline in the testing accuracy.
The deformation of the connector housing
68
is a phenomenon in which it is likely to occur in the case of a large connector housing or a connector housing having nonuniform thickness. It should be noted that, in
FIGS. 14 and 15
, front-side mating-terminal inserting holes continuing to the terminal accommodating chambers of the connector housing
68
are not illustrated, and the central positions
71
of the terminals are indicated by lines intersecting in the X- and Y-directions. The intersecting lines in
FIG. 15
show the central positions
71
of the probe pins
64
of the connector conduction-test tool
51
. In addition, reference numeral
73
denotes a lock arm with respect to the mating female connector housing, numeral
74
denotes a protective wall located around a press operating portion on the rear end side of the lock arm
73
; and numeral
75
denotes a non-slip portion (pinching portion) for the connector fitting operation.
Meanwhile,
FIG. 16
shows a modification of a female connector housing in which, during resin molding, an upper wall surface
80
of a substantially U-shaped projecting portion
78
having a lock projection
77
of a connector housing
76
in its interior is deformed in such a manner as to be slightly inclined with respect to an upper wall
81
of a connector fitting chamber
79
. In this state, if positioning is effected by causing the wall surface
80
of the projecting portion
78
of the connector housing
76
to abut against a wall surface
82
(serving as a reference) of the connector setting portion of the connector conduction-test tool as shown in
FIG. 17
, centers
83
of the male terminals inside the connector housing
76
become positionally offset from the centers of the probe pins in the testing portion of the connector conduction-test tool. Hence, there arises concern that the testing accuracy deteriorates in the same way as described above.
It should be noted that, in the conductivity test of the connector, in a case where the connector
52
is inserted into the connector setting portion
54
from above as shown in
FIG. 13
, the upper wall surface
80
of the projecting portion
78
is, in many cases, made to abut against a lateral inner wall surface of the connector setting portion
54
in a state in which the longitudinal direction of the connector is aligned with the vertical direction. The aforementioned lock projection
77
is a portion which engages the projection of the lock arm
73
of the male connector housing
68
shown in FIG.
14
.
The deformations of the above-described male and female connector housings
68
and
76
present concern not only during the connector conductivity test but also when the connector housings
68
and
76
are positioned and fixed in a connector receiving tool (setting portion) in the process of automatically inserting the terminals into the connector housings
68
and
76
, for example, in which case centers of the front ends of the terminals that are inserted fail to align with centers of openings of the terminal accommodating chambers of the connector housings
68
and
76
, resulting in faulty insertion of the terminals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector positioning structure which makes it possible to prevent such as the deterioration of testing accuracy at the time of the connector conductivity test due to the deformation of male and female connector housings during resin molding as well as the deterioration of insertion

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